Question 1

Summarize the disintegration of communist power in Hungary and Poland.What part did Pope John Paul II play in encouraging the Polish opposition? What was the role of Solidarity?

Accepted Answer

The chapter provides a fairly detailed discussion, especially on Poland, so pulling the facts together in an essay should not be difficult¾names and dates should be included.

Question 2

The Berlin Wall symbolized the

Accepted Answer

The Berlin Wall was a physical manifestation of the polarization of Europe after World War II. It divided East and West Berlin, along with East and West Germany, which were on opposite sides of the Iron Curtain. The wall symbolized the ideological divide between the communist East and the democratic West.

Question 3

As the United States came to share in the leadership of Western culture, many perceived that

Accepted Answer

All of the given options are accurate perceptions of America's leadership in Western culture. America was seen as offering a unique combination of technological advancement, value-free social science, and scientific management that allowed them to get things done efficiently. This approach was in contrast to the old European way of excessive theorizing, political extremism, and impasse. Americanism was also seen as representing "the end of ideology," as it prioritized practicality over ideology and focused on results. The American approach was also heavily reliant on experts in various fields, enhancing efficiency and effectiveness in solving societal and economic problems.

Question 4

Describe the Soviet political and economic situation under Brezhnev, the changes implemented or attempted by Gorbachev, and the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Accepted Answer

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Question 5

The key to the immediate postwar revival of Europe was

Accepted Answer

The Marshall Plan, officially called the European Recovery Program, was a proposed American aid program to provide economic assistance to help rebuild Western Europe after the end of World War II. The plan was a key factor in the immediate postwar revival of Europe.

Question 6

Why was Antonio Gramsci significant?

Accepted Answer

Antonio Gramsci was significant because he developed the concept of cultural hegemony and argued that a dominant class can maintain its power through cultural institutions and narratives. He also proposed the idea of an organic intellectual, someone who is connected to the working class and develops ideas relevant to their struggle. Gramsci's ideas helped to root Marxist thought in a more flexible and contextual political strategy, paving the way for later developments in Marxist theory.

Question 7

Much of postwar European literature and philosophy reflected a mood of

Accepted Answer

Postwar Europe was marked by the devastation of World War II, the trauma of the Holocaust, and the Cold War. This created a sense of despair and anxiety that was reflected in the literature and philosophy of the time. Many artists and intellectuals felt disillusioned and struggled to find meaning in the aftermath of such catastrophic events. This mood is evident in works such as Samuel Beckett's "Waiting for Godot" and Jean-Paul Sartre's "No Exit."

Question 8

Examine postwar France as an example of European traditions and institutions adapting to modern realities.Consider both domestic and foreign affairs.

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Question 9

After the Second World War, western European nations experienced all of the following except

Accepted Answer

Western European nations did not experience a renewal of intense and violent national rivalries after World War II. Rather, they worked towards building more cooperation and integration through the formation of the European Union.

Question 10

Summarize the political development of West Germany under Adenauer and Brandt.What factors tended to make the Federal Republic a more stable regime than that of Weimar?

Accepted Answer

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Question 11

The popular postwar philosophy, existentialism

Accepted Answer

All of the options are correct statements about existentialism. Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus were major leaders in the movement. Existentialism held that engagement, commitment, responsibility, and friendship are all possible and desirable even in a world that is fundamentally meaningless or absurd. There was a split within existentialism over the relevance of Marxism, with some thinkers embracing it and others rejecting it. Finally, existentialism explored what it meant for humans to be adrift from their cultural guideposts and without clear standards and values.

Question 12

Describe the process of decolonization in the postwar period.What were the particular spheres and policies of the various colonial powers, and what complicating factors affected their decisions on independence? What problems affected the newly independent states?

Accepted Answer

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Question 13

Which person was not associated with existentialism?

Accepted Answer

T.S. Eliot was not associated with existentialism. Eliot was a modernist poet and critic, and though his works often deal with themes of religion and identity, he did not explore the philosophical ideas of existentialism in his writing.

Question 14

How was Cuba involved in cold war tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union in the 1960s? What split developed in the communist world, and why?

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Question 15

Discuss the economic recovery of Europe following the war.What first stimulated it, and how did it vary from country to country? What were some characteristics of the welfare state? Describe European economic integration.

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Question 16

In 1914, Europe exercised hegemony over most of the world.In 1945, Europe lay in ruins under the shadow of two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union.Explain Europe's experience, both international and domestic, in the bipolar world of the second half of the twentieth century.

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Question 17

Discuss the Soviet bloc in the 1970s and 1980s.Explain the fall of communism in east-central Europe in 1989.

Accepted Answer

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Question 18

Why did President de Gaulle and some other Europeans oppose the Common Market? What was the original rationale for some degree of European economic integration, what roles were played by Jean Monnet and Robert Schuman, and what were the implications of increasing economic unity for national sovereignty?

Accepted Answer

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Question 19

Referring to the Chronology Chart in this chapter, which event was not a result of direct communist aggression or action?

Accepted Answer

The Suez Crisis was primarily a dispute between Egypt and Western powers, specifically Britain and France, over control of the Suez Canal. It did not involve direct communist aggression or action.

Question 20

American culture in the postwar period was affected by

Accepted Answer

The wartime migration to America of many European artists and intellectuals greatly influenced American culture during the postwar period, bringing new ideas and perspectives.

Quiz 29: The Age of the Cold War, 1949-1989